(1) Technical Field
The subject invention is directed toward a portable collapsible vehicle and more specifically, to a portable, collapsible cart adapted to accommodate a rider and a set of golf clubs.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles for transporting golfers and/or their clubs from hole to hole during a round of golf are well known in the art and come in various types. The most common and inexpensive type in use today are the individual "club caddies" which have a structure for supporting a golf bag including a pair of wheels and a handle and which is manually pulled by the golfer as the golfer walks the course. This type of golf cart is light weight and portable but is not powered and is ultimately dependent upon the golfer to transport the clubs.
Another type of golf cart, commonly employed today is the two person golf cart having a chassis supported on generally four tires and a structure for supporting a pair of golf clubs in the rear of the cart behind the seats for the golfers. This type of golf cart is powered electrically or with an internal combustion engine. Golf carts of this type are not portable, require a fair amount of maintenance and upkeep, are relatively expensive and because of these problems are commonly only rented by golfers for use during the round of golf. However, the cost of renting such a golf cart, where they are available, raises the cost of an already expensive round of golf.
Other types of vehicles adapted to be used as golf carts and which can be described as "hybrids" of the two types disclosed above are also known in the art. Such "hybrid" golf carts are shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,549 issued to Pankow on Mar. 4, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,929 issued to Rolland on Jul. 7, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,836 issued to Riza on Dec. 11, 1973: and U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,281 issued to Snider on Jun. 11, 1985.
Although all of the above mentioned patents disclose golf carts which appear to be collapsible to some extent and claim to be portable, they are, in general, either heavy, relatively complex and therefore expensive or substantially primitive and unpractical. What ever their problems, the fact that the vehicles disclosed by the prior art listed above have not solved the problems of portability and collapsibility in a cost effective manner is proven by their absence from golf courses across this country.
The subject invention, on the other hand, solves these problems inherent in the prior art in an inexpensive, collapsible, truly light weight and portable golf cart.